Catalytic role of traditional enzymes for biosynthesis of biogenic metallic nanoparticles: a mini-review

Although the formation mechanism of biogenically metallic nanoparticles is broadly associated to enzyme mediation, major attention has been given to the role of proteins and peptides in oxido-reduction of metallic ions leading to these nanostructures. Among the wide range of biomolecules that can act not only as capping agents but also as non-enzymatic agents to form nanoparticles, disulphide bridge-containing peptides and amino acids particularly stand out. The literature proposes that they actively participate in the process of nanoparticles´ synthesis, with thiols groups and disulphide bridge moieties as the reaction catalytic sites. Similarly, denaturated enzymes containing exposed S-S or S-H moieties are also able to reduce metallic ions to form nanoparticles. This mini-review is focused on the biogenic synthesis of metallic nanoparticles such as gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, lead and selenium, in which proteins, peptides, reductases and even oxido-reductases act as non-enzymatic catalysts of the reduction reaction, opening economically and ecologically favourable perspectives in the nanoparticles synthesis field.